Jun 15, 2026 · 8 min · 9 segments
Stand-up comedian, writer and Peckham bookseller Ben Pope answers listener questions in this Q&A episode of the pod Listeners ask Ben whether inspiration comes in sparks or from hard work, how you…
Ben PopeGuest
Freya BromleyHost
So Rich in London, who came to one of your shows and really enjoyed it, would like to ask, "Do your moments of inspiration come in sparks through the day when you're not thinking about being creative, or is it all from hard work?"
I, I think increasingly it, it is from hard work rather than sparks of things just because the amount of time you have to...
If I, if I sat and just, if I just waited for things to arrive and, like, then there wouldn't be very much stuff.
Uh, a lot of it does come from just, like, sitting down with a, a book and, or a notebook and just, like, just mashing it out, you know, just seeing what comes.
So hard work often is actually just the parameters of giving yourself a bit of time where it's just you dedicated to this one thing and actually the, the kind of inspiration stuff comes within that.
Um, I used to be a lot more like sitting on the tube, like making notes on my note, you know, um, notepad or whatever.
It's, it's actually, it's like the pleasure of my life actually, honestly, is sitting down and, um, just at, a cafe and writing.
So Rich in London, who came to one of your shows and really enjoyed it, would like to ask, "Do your moments of inspiration come in sparks through the day when you're not thinking about being creative, or is it all from hard work?"
I, I think increasingly it, it is from hard work rather than sparks of things just because the amount of time you have to...
If I, if I sat and just, if I just waited for things to arrive and, like, then there wouldn't be very much stuff.
Uh, a lot of it does come from just, like, sitting down with a, a book and, or a notebook and just, like, just mashing it out, you know, just seeing what comes.
So hard work often is actually just the parameters of giving yourself a bit of time where it's just you dedicated to this one thing and actually the, the kind of inspiration stuff comes within that.
Um, I used to be a lot more like sitting on the tube, like making notes on my note, you know, um, notepad or whatever.
It's, it's actually, it's like the pleasure of my life actually, honestly, is sitting down and, um, just at, a cafe and writing.
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